WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY 2013

The world lacks protection from tobacco and under 11% of the world’s population is protected by comprehensive national smoke-free laws. This year’s World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) theme focused on tobacco advertising bans. According to the World Health Organization, bans on advertising, promotion and sponsorship are “One of the most effective ways of reducing tobacco consumption.”

The Tobacco Epidemic is Widespread

Nearly 80% of the world’s one billion smokers live in low- and middle-income countries and consumption of tobacco products is increasing globally, though it is decreasing in some high-income and upper middle-income countries.

THERE IS A SOLUTION!

IMPLEMENT THE WHO FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON TOBACCO CONTROL

MORE INFORMATION

Why ban tobacco advertisements?
Best Practices for Banning Tobacco Marketing

____________________________________________________________________________

ASH HONORS MARTIN A JACOBS

It is with deep sadness that Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) announces the passing of devoted ASH Trustee and former Chair, Martin Adam Jacobs, on May 14, 2013.

Mr. Jacobs was a true pioneer in the public health movement. His vision prompted him to take action against the tobacco epidemic. He was instrumental in founding ASH as the nation’s first organization devoted specifically to the fight against the harms of tobacco in 1968 and served continuously on ASH’s Board of Trustees. He assumed the chairmanship in 1975 and remained in that position until 2010. Under his leadership, ASH played a leading role in educating the public about the dangers of smoking, in protecting non-smokers from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and in taking the fight for health and against the harm caused by tobacco to a global level through its support of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Following his tenure as Board Chair, Mr. Jacobs served as Chair of ASH’s investment committee and devoted his energy to assuring the future of the organization. His loyalty and fierce dedication of over 45 years to ASH and the tobacco control movement won the admiration of his fellow Trustees and staff at ASH. Click here to read more about Martin and his legacy>

_____________________________________________________________________________

66th WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY (WHA)

ASH is pleased to report that the world made good progress at the recent meeting of health
ministers from around the globe (The 66th World Health Assembly or WHA).

The 66th WHA adopted a Global Action Plan and agreed to a set of targets to curb the rise of non-
communicable diseases (NCDs) which includes cancer, cardiovascular disease and chronic lung disease for which tobacco is the leading risk factor.

The Action Plan will guide the work countries need to do between 2013 and 2020 to reverse the rising NCD epidemic. The Global Action Plan stresses the importance of implementing measures to decrease tobacco consumption such as accelerating the implementation of the global tobacco treaty, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The WHA also agreed to cut tobacco use by 30 percent by 2025. ASH continues to work with governments and partners in order to achieve and hopefully surpass this target.

_____________________________________________________________________________

ASH FEATURED ON HBO VICE TOBACCOLAND

ASH Deputy Director for Policy Chris Bostic was featured in the HBO Vice program Tobaccoland which aired on May 17th, 2013. The program explores the overwhelming prevalence of the tobacco industry and tobacco use in Indonesia where it is virtually unregulated. More than half of the male population smoke, television and print advertising run rampant and children as young as six can purchase cigarettes. The video above is a clip from the twenty minute mini-documentary. Learn/watch more on the Vice website>

_____________________________________________________________________________

TOBACCO & TRADE UPDATE

In May, the 17th round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was held in Lima, Peru. ASH representative Eduardo Bianco travelled to Lima to meet with delegates and educate them on the urgency of the tobacco issue. Once again, the U.S. failed to propose its draft tobacco exception, which was promised over a year ago. Although there are still several outstanding issues to debate in the TPP, the 12 countries involved hope to conclude the treaty this fall, so time is running out.

One piece of good news – the Senate approved Michael Froman as the new United States Trade Representative (USTR), to replace the outgoing Ron Kirk. While little is known about Froman’s stance on tobacco, he has made some very pro-health statements, and in any case does not share Kirk’s background in working directly for the tobacco industry.

On July 8, new negotiations will begin on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the U.S. and the European Union. Once completed, TTIP will be the largest trading bloc in the world, dwarfing NAFTA. Like the TPP, it is expected that TTIP will include the right for tobacco companies to directly sue local, state and national governments over tobacco control laws. Also like TPP, the TTIP negotiations will be highly secretive, with even Members of Congress restricted from seeing the draft text.

ASH’s Chris Bostic testified before the USTR on May 29th, urging the U.S. to exclude tobacco products from the treaty’s investor protections and tariff reductions.

Without unique treatment for tobacco, both of these treaties threaten to undermine advances in the war on tobacco here at home and around the world. Support ASH in our trade initiative by donating today and learn more about tobacco and trade>

_____________________________________________________________________________

PROTECT OUR CHILDREN’S HEALTH PETITION

ASH was pleased to help promote the White House Petition campaign of 24 year old Michigan State graduate Greg Holland. His petition sought the protection of children from tobacco smoke while riding in vehicles.

Greg began his petition on the White House’s public call for petitions website and collected the first 150 signatures needed to have a publicly viewable petition by reaching out to people via phone, email, text, tweets, and online sharing.

The call for signatures to the petition closed on May 7th with 2,328 signers. Though it fell short of the required signatures for White House review ASH appreciated the opportunity to assist Greg in his grass roots campaign. Read on to learn more about Greg and his petition>

_____________________________________________________________________________

NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK 2013 (NPHW)

National Public Health Week (NPHW) took place April 1-7 and this years themes included:

• Ensuring a safe and healthy home for your family
• Providing a safe environment for children at school
• Creating a healthy workplace
• Protecting you while you’re on the move
• Empowering a health community

ASH participated this year by promoting the 7 best ways to eliminate tobacco as a public health risk.

____________________________________________________________________________

ASH WELCOMES KIM INTINO

Please help us in welcoming our new Deputy Director of Development, Kimberley Intino!

Kim has served as a management professional in the non-profit sector for over 20 years with a past focus on animal welfare advocacy. Her experience includes fundraising, operations, public speaking and legislation.

She was born and raised in Upstate New York and moved to the Greater Washington, DC Metro area in 2003. She was employed for eight years by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and has held positions at other NGOs as executive director, public relations/marketing director and development officer.

Kim possesses a broad range of knowledge in relationship-based fundraising, including the cultivation, acquisition and stewardship of both individual donors and corporate sponsors. She is a skilled writer and has developed successful grant proposals for foundation, academic and government entities, as well as compelling marketing materials for use in attracting, educating and motivating key supporters. She exhibits exceptional networking talent and communicates her mission and vision with both passion and clarity.

Kim earned a Master of Science in Business Management from State University of New York Institute of Technology, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychobiology and English from Hamilton College, and a certificate in Non-Profit Management from George Mason University. She has received recognition for her teamwork approach and her leadership and professional contributions to the community.

Kim’s inspiration for her new position with ASH is her amazing, beautiful mother, whom she lost much too soon to tobacco-related disease.